


befuddled

by AmandaBecker



Series: What if? [17]
Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:54:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21719518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmandaBecker/pseuds/AmandaBecker
Summary: What if.......the befuddling conversation with Lady Susan involves someone else in the conversation?
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Sidney Parker, Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Series: What if? [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1544161
Comments: 16
Kudos: 72





	1. An affliction

**Author's Note:**

> I just thought the idea was too funny.

As Sidney reached the rest rooms he was stunned to overhear a conversation, he wouldn’t ever expected.  
A warm voice told another person calmly....  
„That sounds to me, that you are in love with him.“ 

He smiled, there was someone confused and the other one strengthen him or her in the feeling of beeing in love.  
Yes, he knew how this feeling could confuse someone. Not only the first time, also the second and especially unexpected time. 

Than he heard Charlotte almost cry.  
„That can not be further from the truth, when I ever fall in love, then not with a man like him!“ The voice of the other woman said kindly something like  
„...is an affliction, like the measles.“ 

He then steped closer. Why he didn’t wait any longer he didn’t know, but he had the feeling to help her by rushing to her side.  
He was confused as well. Of whom she had spoken? Could he hope it was him?

The nice woman clarified that they had spoken about him. His heart made a deep thump, could it really be?  
It was clear to him, in the moment he looked in Charlottes face. She was blushing beautiful.  
Eyes widen in shock and the expression on her face was as if she had been caught doing something indecent.  
Sidney couldn’t look away and was stunned.

„So Mr. Parker. Have you some advices for our Miss Heywood here?“

Charlottes looked to the other woman, and if it was possible her eyes widen even more.  
Sidney cleared his thorat and tried to look confused, asked about the topic of discussion.

„To clarefire if you are in love,“ the Lady explained with a smal smile.  
„...how can you tell, you are?“ she asked further.

Charlotte looked at her hands, and the floor, Sidney was afraid she would run out of the room immediately, so he tried to answer truthfully.

„When you try to be with this person in every moment, when the opinion of this person means the most for you. When your heart began to race unstoppable when this person look into your eyes.“ Unintentionally he stepped closer by every sentence till he stood in fornt of her.  
His heart seemed to jump out of his jest in the next moment.

„If this person tease and annoyes and upset you in different ways.“ He looked into her eyes and she craned up to him.  
„When you try to do better, cause of her. When the urge to touch her is almost unbearable.“  
He reached for her hand, without noticing to do so, but didn’t touch her.

„And definitly you know it, when you have...irritating dreams.“ His voice was just a whisper.  
„Irritating dreams?“ she asked, cheek blushing deeper.  
Sidney bit his lip and saw her gaze flicker to his mouth, than to his eyes again.

„Yes,...erm...in your dreams this person act,....like she is yours. She react differenty as in the real situations.“

Charlotte couldn’t almost hear his voice anymore, her blood rushed in her ear and her breath was so fast, she feared to get light headed.  
His warmth penetrated her. He knew exactly like she felt.  
Was it possible that he felt the same or does he just referenced his experinces?

„Do you know that for sure?“ she asked with shaking voice.  
„Yes. I know how it felt.“  
„Oh, of course.“  
Charlotte looked down, so he wasn’t in love now. She saw the vacant bench, where Lady Susan had sat. She didn’t eevn noticed she had left. Charlotte sat down there and couldn’t look up at him any more. She feared he would see the dissapointment all over her face.

„...and I know that it is the same and also not the same, when you fall in love....again.“  
„What do you mean?“ she asked confused.  
„When you fall in love a second time it felt differently.“  
„Yes?“  
„Yes, it is more serious. Stronger. And something shift in the air, when...“ he cleared his throat again. „when she is in the same room. Or near by.“ 

He looked down to her and smiled. She was so lovely. Adorable. In this golden dress, with rosy cheeks, bright fearfull eyes.  
Her breath was racing, her decolté distracted him.

„Do you have any kind of this symptoms?“ he asked seriously.  
„Yes.“  
„Which?“  
„a few of them, I guess.“ She admitted and glanzed briefly up to him.  
„Share them with me.“ He pleaded. Charlotte looked shocked into his eyes.  
„I also shared mine with you.“ he explained.

„alright.“ She nodded get redder and started to tell him.  
„I try to ....avoid him. I try to understand him also he confuse me and his opinion means more to me that anybody elses.“  
„And?“ Sidney like the conversation and he tried to ignore the sting inside of jealousy, if he is not the one she is talking about.

„My haert races and yes...“ she looked into his eyes and was irritated that he suddenly sat next to her on the smal bench.  
„Yes?“ he spur her on to continue.  
„...the urge to touch...is almost unbearable.“  
„You never did?“  
„No!“ she hissed, „of course not.“  
„And your dreams?“ he wanted to know, and he pushed her even more.  
„I can not tell you....“  
„I will tell you as well.“

Charlotte consider how it would not reveal to much, when she tell him about her dreams. She tried to stay neutral at any price.

„Yes, erm. I dreamed of...dancing and a conversation which turned into .... erm.... more pleasant ways.“ She turned red again.  
„Oh, wow.“ He laughed lightly.  
„Oh no, not what you think!“ she cried.  
„What do I think?“ he asked amused and not annoyed.  
„...I...I don’t know but...not this kind of pleasentness.“  
„Which kind then?“  
„nicer, and not detuning conversations. More dances....“ it sounds like a question.  
„only more dances?“ he was whispering and she shivered.  
„Mr. Parker!“ she hissed, before she rose to stand in front of him. Anger shining in her eyes and amusement.  
„now, it’s your turn.“ She asked.

„Ah erm. Yes. One of my dreams are similar to yours.“ He answered calmly.  
„..more dances and nicer conversations.“

She noded and tried to ignore the fact that he was standing now. In front of her. Very close. Almost unproper. Her heart was hammering in her chest, hands shaking. 

„but mostly I dream always the same dream.“  
„which?“ she asked, voice thick with emotions.  
„to embrace and kiss...“ he stepped even closer „..her.“ 

„Ah.“ She was no longer capable of more words.  
„when she not turned around and....run away.“  
„...run away, Mr. Parker?“ she looked up to him, he was so ....big and broad.  
„yes, in my dreams she did not, but in real life she ran away..“ His warm hand touched her waist slightly.  
It was dawning on her. She swallowed hard and licked her lips.

„she...she ran away?“ she rasped.

„yes,....as she saw me naked.“


	2. flabbergasted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the conversation flabbergasted them both...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am sorry for the delay, but here the 2nd chapter.
> 
> Thank you all for your kind support and that you are still reading!

"oh" was the only thing Charlotte could say at that moment.  
So everything he had just said to her meant his feelings to her, right? She had to know exactly.

"I didn't think that you, erm... you ambush women, erm... naked, Mr. Parker."  
She spoke this words with a bright red cheeks. Sidney laughed quietly. And returned with a grin,

"I didn't ambush you, Miss Heywood."  
"but you accused me of that." She gave him to consider.  
"I thought we had clarified that," he asked amusedly and took a step back.

He couldn't have that kind of conversation when she was so close to him.  
Otherwise he could not guarantee anything if her answer to the question buzzing around in his head turned out positive.  
But he would probably also attack her if he received a negative response. He was not allowed to do that under any circumstances.  
Neither here nor anywhere else was he allowed to lose control. She was dangerous.  
Oh so dangerous, that little adorable creature. 

"We did." 

Slowly Charlotte could think clearly again as Sidney moved a few steps away from her. Apparently he also felt the incredible tension in the room. The heat and this...vibrating. What had he just told her? That he dreamed of her, was that really possible?  
She turned red again and looked over at him as he stopped at the window. Mr. Parker had his back to her. It was good that he didn't look at her when she asked her next question, it really would have been too embarrassing to see his face.

"So, are you telling me that you're dreaming of me? " she asked with little conviction and her voice took on that scratchy, breathless tone that almost made him lose his mind.

"Yes." He simply said and looked briefly over his shoulder at her.

With huge eyes she looked at him in disbelief. Her cheeks were reddened and her skin seemed to glitter. Her chest raised and lowered excitedly. Turning back to the window, he let out a deep breath. Fear he might scare her even more with the question he wanted to ask. Had to.  
He closed his eyes.

"Miss Heywood," he started quietly, so she had to come a few steps closer to fully understand him.  
When he heard her footsteps a smile surrounded his mouth and he continued calmly,  
"May I ask you a question?"

He felt her behind him without having to look. His heart was beating up to his neck and he breathed in audibly once more,  
"Do you sometimes dream of me, too?"

Charlotte's heart made a swing and sank into her stomach, then back into her chest and it galloped away like a wild horse.  
How could he do that? To ask such a question! What had she reveal?  
But wait, he had just confessed the same thing to her. That really could not be true!

Sidney kept his eyes closed. He was scared she would run away. Not expecting that she felt the same.  
Certainly another misunderstanding, as so often between them.  
What was he thinking?

But she didn't run away. Miss Heywood was still standing behind him, he felt that.  
Her breath went much too fast and he was afraid that she would pass out any moment.  
Slowly he turned to her, her gaze lowered, she stood there.  
Beautifully in her golden dress, with her femininity presented directly in front of him.  
The nervous trembling of her hands reflected his own insecurity. Her eyes fluttered like the delicate wings of a hummingbird. 

Not knowing otherwise, he reached for her hands. A breath of relif emanated from her, the soothing touch.  
She closed her eyes and a smile surrounded her lips and then brightened her whole face as she nodded.

"Yes?" he breathed. She nodded again.  
"When?" he asked curiously.  
"At night." She answered quietly.  
"How often?" he urged, he just had to know.  
"constantly" She admitted, and blushed even more by this confession.  
He laughed briefly and then bit his lip. Her grip became stronger now, she breathed in a deep breath and asked him the question back.  
"And you?  
"every night.“

At this moment Charlotte opened her eyes and their gazes locked with each other. 

"So that means?..." she asked.  
"That we both dance now after we've cleared that up!"

Charlotte was perplexed, but let Sidney escort her to the dance floor.  
"Why are we dancing?" she asked, turned to him.  
"Isn't that what people do at dance. Dance?  
"Yes, but..."  
"None but. I just want to have new possibilities." He smirked.  
"What kind of possibilities?“  
"Different ways of dreaming of you and this dress." twirling around your feet, but luckily he just thought so,  
"Oh." 

During the dance they didn't talk any further. Their feelings spoke to their hearts through their eyes.  
Sidney couldn't take his eyes off her and she was also a prisoner. Her heart was beating constantly and inexplicably quiet until the dance became faster and they both had to laugh from their hearts. When the dance came to an end they were glued together.  
The hand wrapped around her waist, almost unseemly. The other in the strong grip pressed to his throbbing heart that she felt despite the clothes against her skin beating. He felt just like her.

When they had to separate, she curtsied and he bowed, he took her hand again so quickly and pulled her off the dance floor.  
Tom, who came to dance with Charlotte, had no chance to ask her at all. Quickly she followed him through the rooms.  
He only stopped when he helped her into her coat and then pulled her to the exit.

"But Tom?" she asked in a hurry as they got into the carriage.  
"I'll send the carriage back to him."  
"Why did you want to go so fast?" she asked curiously.  
"The dance was beautiful.“ He explained absently.  
"Yes it was.“ She lowered her eyes to her hands in her lap.  
Sidney bent over to her from the opposite side and grabbed them.

"It was very...exhilarating." he whispered.  
Somewhat shocked, her eyes fluttered again, but she dared to ask.  
"for more dreams, Mr. Parker?"  
"That, too," he replied hesitantly, "but above all, so...that I...erm..."

Now she looked at him and tilted her head to one side in this adorable way.  
It was an innocent gesture, but since she let her long neck work even longer, he had to clear his throat briefly and looked to the side.

"Say it," she asked him. She would have loved to continue the dance. Forever.

"I would like to give the dream a few more ... oportunities, and that...erm I couldn’t do that on the dance floor."  
"Oh! answered Charlotte. 

Apparently their thoughts were not so far away from each other.


End file.
